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Parties fight to offer 'change' | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The three biggest parties are battling over who can offer voters "change" - following a Lib Dem poll surge. | |
The Tories say only they can "guarantee change" - arguing a vote for the Lib Dems could lead to a hung parliament in which Gordon Brown remains PM. | |
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said only his party "stands up for real change in the old economic and political order". | |
But Lord Mandelson said Labour had learned lessons from its time in power to offer "real change" in key areas. | |
Meanwhile, the SNP are class="bodl" href="/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/scotland/8630998.stm">launching their manifesto in Glasgow. | |
Lord Mandelson told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the "flux" in the polls - which have put Lib Dem support ahead of Labour, and in some, ahead of the Conservatives - following last week's prime ministerial TV debate was "real" and "palpable". | |
'Real change' | |
Lord Mandelson said: "I think the challenge for Labour and for Gordon Brown is to demonstrate and to succeed in putting across that he and the Labour government have used our experience of the global crisis and the crisis in our politics to learn some lessons, build on what we've achieved in government and to offer some real change in certain key areas - albeit in new very constraining financial circumstances." | |
He said those areas included rebuilding the economy on "stronger foundations", reforming public services further and overhauling "aspects of our parliament". | |
I think people want change and I think increasingly in the next two weeks the message we will want to get across is only the Conservatives can guarantee change Liam Fox SNP launching election manifesto UK election at-a-glance: 20 April | |
"I also think people are coming to the view that if they really want change in politics they've got to change the electoral system as well," the business secretary said. | |
Mr Brown has promised a referendum on changing the first-past-the-post voting system to an "alternative vote" (AV) system in which candidates are ranked in order of preference. | |
The Lib Dems have long campaigned to change the voting system to a form of proportional representation - although they prefer another system, the single transferable vote. | |
Hung parliament | |
Opinion polls published in two of Tuesday's newspapers suggest the Liberal Democrats continue to enjoy more support than Labour, but less than the Conservatives. | |
BBC political correspondent Norman Smith said the Conservatives had changed a party election broadcast on Monday in an attempt to reclaim the mantle of change from the Lib Dems. | |
The only party that now stands up for real change in the old economic and political order of this country are the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg | |
Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the BBC the Tories "have to take" Mr Clegg "seriously" - and say the surge in the polls showed "people want change". | |
"I think people want change and I think increasingly in the next two weeks the message we will want to get across is only the Conservatives can guarantee change. | |
"Because a vote from Labour and the Lib Dems could leave us stuck with Gordon Brown as prime minister and the uncertainty of a hung parliament could kill the economic recovery... The thing is that change is a process not a destination." | |
'More unpredictable' | |
Asked about Mr Cameron's new party election broadcast on Tuesday, Mr Clegg said: "Over the last few weeks, he has changed his policies, he has changed his ad agency and last night he changed his election broadcast, but that doesn't mean he can change Britain. | |
"The only party that now stands up for real change in the old economic and political order of this country are the Liberal Democrats." | |
Mr Clegg used his daily news conference to set out plans to split up the banks, to separate low risk deposit-taking banking from high risk investment banking, and set a new 10% levy on bank profits. | Mr Clegg used his daily news conference to set out plans to split up the banks, to separate low risk deposit-taking banking from high risk investment banking, and set a new 10% levy on bank profits. |
But he continued to face questions about whether he would "prop up" Labour if they won the most seats. | |
Mr Clegg said he could not predict the future and it was "more exciting and more unpredictable than any election I can remember". | Mr Clegg said he could not predict the future and it was "more exciting and more unpredictable than any election I can remember". |
Labour is launching its business plans, saying government must create the conditions in which firms prosper. | |
Gordon Brown will say his party backs business but believes "that government must create the conditions within which firms prosper". | |
"The Conservatives believe that growth can happen by itself so long as government gets out of the way, but growth doesn't happen by chance. That is the economics of yesterday." | |
And the Conservatives will launch plans to tackle welfare dependency. David Cameron will say the "free ride is over". | |
He will say, if the Tories win power, they would introduce a single "work programme" by the end of 2010, to "get Britain working again". | He will say, if the Tories win power, they would introduce a single "work programme" by the end of 2010, to "get Britain working again". |
Plans involve helping people find work and start up businesses, and "work clubs" to help unemployed people learn skills and get support - as well as sanctions for anyone who refuses to look for work. | |
In Glasgow the Scottish National Party is launching its manifesto and says only it can protect public services. | |
Tuesday is also the deadline for people to register so they can vote on 6 May. | |